


Top of the List

by fromfanontocanon



Category: Arrow 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 05:33:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2376656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromfanontocanon/pseuds/fromfanontocanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She knows the moment she sees Roy walking towards the tech store that something is wrong.</p><p>Prompt from Effie214: Oliver/Felicity, Emergency room</p>
            </blockquote>





	Top of the List

The sight of Roy approaching makes her heart drop to her stomach.

Behind her, the tech store’s lights dim. She doesn’t notice, the expression on his face telling her her world is about to get darker.

She can barely get the question out, her throat dry as she releases the words into the stillness of the night. “Oliver or Dig?”

Roy’s eyes flit sideways for a second before he answers. “Oliver.”

Her teeth dig into her bottom lip. Panic invades every muscle in her body.

“Where is he?”

"On his way to Starling City General with Dig. We should meet them there."

"How bad is it?"

Roy breaks eye contact again. “We should go. My car’s over there.”

She nods, follows him wordlessly, telling herself not to ask any more questions.

Roy doesn’t have the answers she wants.

The engine stirs when he turns the key. She wants to tell him to drive faster, the car moving far too slowly despite the fact that Roy averages 80 mph on a calm day. Tonight, he’s pushing 90.

The memory of her conversation with Oliver earlier that day replays in her mind.

_"Maybe I should just call in sick."_

_Oliver cocks his head at her. “Like you did last week when we had to track down the Bratva?”_

_"This is important, Oliver."_

_"So is your job. I’m already responsible for you losing one job. It’s probably time you made a decision about your career that has nothing to do with me," he stops long enough to wave his around around the foundry, "or this."_

_"It wouldn’t be about you," she lies. "The mission comes first."_

_He smiles at her, bright and earnest._

_“You come first,” he says softly in that tone that makes her knees go soft and her heart flutter. His hand lands on her back as he gently eases her towards the door. “Dig’s got this. He learned from the best tech genius I know.”_

_She pouts, unconvinced. “First of all, I’m the only tech genius you know and second of all…you’re sure?”_

_He throws her an amused look and another smile, brighter than the first.”I’m sure.”_

They get to the hospital just in time to see Diggle disappear behind the emergency room doors. By the time Roy pulls up in the driveway, Felicity’s already half out of the car, scrambling to reach him.

“John! John!”

He turns, catches her shoulders to stop her. “We can’t go in there, Felicity. They have him.”

“What happened?”

“I got in, fed them the feed just like you showed me…” he trails off, the guilt clear in his eyes. “And then the feed changed, and I couldn’t get back in. I was going to call you, but they had already seen him,” he swallows, shakes his head. “Roy got him out, and we tried to stop the bleeding…at the foundry…”

She clasps a hand over her mouth and closes her eyes. Imagines the floor stained with Oliver’s blood. She only notices she’s shaking when Diggle’s arms wrap around her, the weight of his grip easing some of her anxiety. “He’s strong, Felicity. If anyone can get through it…”

The words are white noise.

He’s here because she wasn’t there; it’s all she can think about.

She glances at the clock every minute. The doctor comes out half an hour later with news that Oliver is stable.

Relief finds her like a cool breeze on a humid day. The tears that finally fall are steeped in gratitude.

“The police will want a statement about what he remembers about the mugging,” the doctor says apologetically as he ushers them down the hall and into the private room where Oliver is still unconscious.

She doesn’t leave his side the entire eighteen hours he sleeps. Exhaustion claims her at 1 the next afternoon, and she falls asleep on her arm resting on the side of his bed, her hand still clasping his.

It’s his fingers searching for the space between hers that wakes her in the early evening.

“Hey,” he says when she looks up. “I guess I didn’t die. Again.” His voice is raspy, face pale, but the edges of his lips quirk up when his eyes meet hers. “Cool.”

She makes a sound between a sob and a laugh, finishing what he started by weaving their fingers together.

“It wasn’t funny the first time,” she says with a sniffle, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

He grimaces when he shifts. “I seem to recall you laughing the first time.”

She presses her lips together tightly, only answering when she’s sure she can keep her voice even. “What can I say? I’m always relieved when you don’t die.”

He chuckles softly.

"Me too," he mumbles as his eyelids flutter close again.

She moves to the edge of her seat to reach his cheek, lets the warmth of his skin seep into hers. “Get some sleep.”

He gives her a small nod, eyes still shut, before his breathing evens out.

Dig walks in a few minutes later.

"Roy dropped off your car," he informs her, handing her the keys.

She palms them. ”You’ll stay with him?”

"All night," Dig replies.

"Just for a few hours," she says as she slings her bag back on her shoulder. "I have to go do something, but I’ll be back to stay the night."

She's not leaving him for the night again, she tells herself, stealing one last glance at Oliver before moving out of his room.

She showers when she gets home, changes into something that makes her feel more confident than the bright blue uniform she’s been wearing since Roy came and got her. She has one stop to make before the hospital, a different conversation running on repeat in her head as she drives.

_"Um…if you’re looking for some help with your computer, you now own a company with a very solid IT department.”_

_Ray Palmer smiles at her, digs his hands into his pockets. “I’m well aware. I was going through the employee files this morning.”_

_"Then you know you’ve got the best of the best.”_

_“Well, that’s actually why I’m here. Your performance reviews are impressive, Felicity. The best of any other employee at Queen Consolidated. I’m surprised you chose to be Oliver Queen’s executive assistant, considering the potential to move up in the IT department.”_

_“I wouldn’t use the word ‘chose’ so much as ‘agreed,’” she replies wryly._

_"It’s an interesting…career shift…people must’ve had a lot of questions."_

_She tilts her head sideways.”Questions. Assumptions. More of the latter.”_

_He nods in understanding but doesn’t push the issue. “I want QC to be the best that it can be, and for that, I need the best—” he pauses, takes a step towards her._

_She notices the folder he’s holding for the first time. He holds it out to her, and she feels a stab of guilt that it says Palmer Technologies. That she couldn’t do anything to help Oliver get Queen Consolidated back._

_“I’m here to offer you a job. Back in the IT department.”_

_“I have a job. Two, in fact.” She points to her bright blue shirt even though she hates it._

_She’s trying to prove a point, after all._

_“You’re working two jobs and earning less than you did in QC.”_

_She opens her mouth to protest, closing it again when he continues talking. “You have a mortgage. A car lease. And—“ he looks down at her strappy gold pumps, “very good taste in expensive shoes. I’m offering you a chance to get your career back on track.”_

_She throws her bag into the car and turns back to him, offers him a polite smile. “Thank you, but I’m not interested. “_

_She’s not working for the man who took Oliver’s company. Period._

_Ray sighs, returns the packet to his side. “Felicity, I know we don’t know each other very well, but it might be time for you to consider what’s really important. Get your priorities straight. I think I can help with that.”_

_Her eyes burn with resolve as she looks back at him. She’s won stare downs against Oliver. Ray Palmer doesn’t stand a chance._

_He sighs again, nods in understanding. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”_

She never thought she’d be here again. Not after Oliver lost the bid for the company, but she shakes off whatever lingering doubt she might have had on the way over.

It wouldn’t be the first time she took a job she didn’t want for him.

(It probably won’t be the last.)

She watches the numbers on the top of the elevator door light up, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment when it stops at the top floor.

It’s both familiar and strange, walking these halls at night, knowing every crack in the wall, how many steps it takes to get to the office at the end. The click of her heels beat with purpose on the marble floor.

At the end of the corridor, Ray Palmer’s brown eyes track her.

“I hope this means what I think it does,” he says with a smile when she steps into his office. Oliver’s old office.

“I have one condition,” she says in response.

He dips his chin, waits for her to continue.

“I don’t work overtime.”

He leans back, half sitting on his desk. “And I suppose that’s non-negotiable.”

“Non-negotiable,” she repeats firmly. “I have other interests beyond this company.”

"I’ve read your performance reviews, Felicity. You have a reputation for efficiency.” He purses his lips, nods slowly. “I think I can work with that. When can you start?”

She doesn’t care about two-week notices or being professional. She cares about making it to the foundry by 6 pm the next night, and every night after that.

"I’ll be here tomorrow."

Ray’s grin widens. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he says enthusiastically.

"In the morning," she agrees.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what changed your mind?” he asks as she walks away.

She looks over her shoulder and meets his eyes.

"It was just like you said," she says as she remembers the feel of Oliver’s hand moving under hers an hour earlier. "I had to think about what was important to me. Get my priorities straight."

And with that, she leaves to return to the man who’s at the top of her list.


End file.
